Minnesota selects former Byrnes star Dawkins in 7th round

Florida State defensive tackle Everett Dawkins was taken by the Vikings with the 229th overall pick on Saturday.

By ERIC BOYNTONeric.boynton@shj.com

Former Byrnes standout Everett Dawkins was drafted Saturday in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings to join former high school teammate Marcus Lattimore in the NFL.The 6-foot-2, 292-pound defensive tackle from Florida State was the 23rd pick in the final round and the 229th selection overall. He was the last of a whopping 11 Seminoles to be chosen including defensive linemates Bjoern Werner (Round 1), Cornelius “Tank” Carradine (Round 2) and Brandon Jenkins (Round 5).Dawkins didn't return phone or text messages seeking comment.The Vikings also drafted a defensive tackle with one of three first-round picks in taking Florida's Sharrif Floyd who had been predicted by many to a be sure top-10 guy. Their second first-round pick was Dawkins' former college teammate — cornerback Xavier Rhodes — and their third first-rounder was Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who played high school football at Northwestern.Minnesota also has former University of South Carolina linebacker Jasper Brinkley and former Furman fullback Jerome Felton on the roster. Starting quarterback Christian Ponder was a teammate of Dawkins at Florida State.The Vikings depth chart on the interior of the defensive line includes six-time Pro-Bowl tackle Kevin Williams and third-year man Christian Ballard, who started two games over his first two seasons. The duo at nose-guard is Letroy Guion, who made 15 starts in last year, and Fred Evans, who is entering his eighth season in the NFL.